Chest or similar receptacle



Oct. 29, L935. G. A. LOFTIN 2,019,083

' CHEST OR SIMILAR RECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 19, 1954 I Z r 50 J J J7 J5 Z6'.19 Z J 1 ll J J A Patented Oct. 29, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CHEST B SIMILARRECEPTACLE' Grady A. Loftin, Altavista, Va, auignor to The Lane Company,Inc., Altavilta, Va a corporation of Virginia Application October 19,1934, Serial No. 749,106

9 Claims.

This invention relates to chests and similar receptacles andparticularly to an arrangement or assembly of trays for such chests.

, One object of the invention is to provide trays so mounted withrespect to the body of the chest that when within the chest they will bein substantially side-to-side horizontal alinement adjacent to the opentop thereof, and when they are lifted from the chest they will besupported adjacent to an end thereof in such manner as to affordrelatively unobstructed access to their contents and to the contents ofthe chest.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means for graspingthe trays so that they l5 may be moved readily from one position toanother.

The invention comprises a chest or similar receptacle having a body anda tray assembly comprising trays interconnected by means providing aparallel link or similar suitable motion whereby the trays whenpositioned within the chest body will lie in substantially side-to-sidehorizontal alinement and when lifted from the chest will assume aposition in spaced superposed relation 35 substantially beyond andadjacent, preferably, to

one end of the chest body; and the invention consists, further, incertain structural details hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the I0 invention, in theseveral figures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chest or similar receptacle embodyingthe features of the invention, and showing the trays moved to theirposi- "5 tion exteriorly of the chest body;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to Fig. l but showingthe trays in position within the chest body, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view with the front of lo the chest removed, andshowing the trays in the same position as in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated, the chest comprises a body A having afront wall I, back wall 2, end walls 3 and 4, and a bottom, a suitablebase L5 B of ornamental or other appropriate character, and a lid Chinged to the back wall 2 as indicated at 5, and provided, if desired,with an ornamental or other skirt molding 6, and having the usu brace orsupport 1.

Pivotally attached at their inner ends at 8, 8' and 8, 0 to the frontwall I and back wall 2, respectively, of the chest body A are similarlink members it, Hi and II, II of a parallel link motion, the linkmembers of which are braced 5 by spreaders or struts l2 and l 2.

A tray I3 is pivotally connected, preferably adjacent to the upper edgesof two of its sides, to the outer ends of the link members I 0, l0 and lI, II, the connections with the members It and II being indicated at Itand I5, respectively, 6 and a somewhat similar tray I6 is pivotallyconnected, preferably adjacent to the lower edges of two of its sides,to the link members l0, l0 and II, II, the connections to the members i0and II being substantially at the median portions of 10 the latter asindicated at I! and I8. Similar stop members or rests l9 are providedpreferably upon the front wall and back wall of the chest body, the rearone only being shown.

The trays i3 and I6 may be of any desired form, and they may be providedwith appropriate partitions to furnish separate storage spaces (see trayI 3), or they may be plain (see tray I6), and either tray, butpreferably both, may have at one side an overhanging lip or flange 2|which 20 m y be grasped by the hand to move the tray assembly comprisingthe parallel link motion and trays, so that the trays may be positionedwithin the chest body, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or removed therefrom,as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be noted by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that when the trayassembly is moved to position within the chest body, the tray l3 comesto rest upon and is supported by the stops or rests l9 and the pivotalconnections of the two trays with the link members l0, l0 and i I, H aresuch that the trays assume the position of substantially horizontalalinement heretofore referred to, and their dimensions are preferablysuch that they occupy practically the entire area of the chest opening.It will be seen also, froman inspection of Fig. 1, that when the traysare removed from the chest they assume a position in which they aresuperposed but are in spaced relation, preferably overhanging one endwall of the chest and supported by contact of the link members I l and Il' thereagainst. Thus, not only may easy access to the two trays be hadat all times, but when they are removed from the chest, as in Fig. 1,access to the contents of the chest itself is practically unobstructed.

Obviously, any part of either of the trays may be grasped for movingthem from one position to another, but the lips or flanges 2| facilitatethe movement and may readily be grasped for the purpose.

The distribution of the weight of the trays and the angle of inclinationof the link members of the parallel motion are such when the trays arein the position of Fig. 1 that the tray assembly ing the assembly in theraised position.

It will be understood that although the tray assembly is shown asarranged adjacent to the right-hand end wall of the chest, it could belocated at the left-hand end wall or at the front wall or back wall ofthe chest, without departing from the invention so long as the importantfeatures of substantial horizontal alinement and spaced superposedrelation of the trays when in their two principal positions aremaintained.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of theinvention and the intended scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A tray assembly for chests and similar receptacles, said assemblycomprising a pair of spaced sets of parallel link members, said membershaving means at the inner ends thereof for pivotal connection to theopposed inner walls of a chest, a tray pivotally connected to the outerends of link members of both sets, and a second tray pivotally connectedto link members of both sets at intermediate points thereof so spacedfrom the pivotal connections of the first tray that said trays may bepositioned in horizontal alinement within a chest when said link membersare pivotally secured to the walls thereof.

2. A chest comprising four walls and a bottom, a plurality of traysnormally positioned in substantially horizontal alinement in the chest,and means supporting said trays for movement from said normal positionsinto spaced superposed positions, said means comprising parallel motionlink members pivotally connected to said trays and to the inner sides ofopposite walls of the chest.

3. A chest comprising four walls and a bottom, a pair of. spaced sets ofparallel link members having their inner ends pivotally attached to theinner sides of opposed walls of the chest, a plurality of trays normallypositioned in horizontal alinement in the chest, and pivotal connectionsbetween each of said trays and said sets of link members. whereby saidtrays will be in spaced superposed relation when said trays are elevatedinto position exteriorly of the chest.

4. A chest as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inner ends of said linkmembers are pivotally attached to the front and rear walls of the chest.

5. A chest as claimed in claim 3, wherein the inner ends of said linkmembers are pivotally attached to the front and rear walls of the chestadjacent one end thereof, whereby the trays are positioned above thatend of the chest when raised into elevated position.

6. A chest as claimed in claim 3, wherein said plurality of traysconsists of two trays which substantially completely fill the upperinterior 6 space of said chest when in lowered position in the same.

7. A chest or similar receptacle having a tray assembly comprising aparallel link motion including pairs of. link members pivoted at their10 inner ends within said chest, a tray pivotally connected to the outerends of said link members, and a tray pivotally connected to said linkmembers substantially medially of. their length, the said trays beingnormally positioned in side-to- 15 side horizontal alinement in thechest and being positioned in spaced superposed relation by said linkmembers when moved to a position exteriorly of the chest.

8. A chest or similar receptacle provided with a 20 tray assemblycomprising a parallel link motion comprising pairs of link membershaving their inner ends pivotally connected to the front wall andbackwall, respectively, of said chest adjacent to one end wall thereof, atray pivotally 25 connected to the outer ends of said link members, anda tray pivotally connected to said link members substantially mediallyof their length, the arrangement of said pivotal connections providingside-to-side horizontal positioning of said 30 trays when moved to aposition within said chest and a superposed spaced relationship of saidtrays overhanging the end wall of said chest when moved to a positionexteriorly of said chest.

9. A chest or similar receptacle provided with 35 a tray assemblycomprising a parallel link motion comprising pairs-of link membershaving their inner ends pivotally connected with the front wall and backwall of said chest adjacent to one end wall thereof, a tray pivotallyconnected to the 40 outer ends of said link members, and a traypivotally connected to said link members substantially medially of theirlength, the arrangement of said pivotal connections providingside-to-side horizontal positioning of said trays when moved to aposition within said chest and a superposed spaced relationship of saidtrays overhanging the end wall of said chest when moved to a positionexteriorly of said chest, and a stop member arranged within said chestand adapted to arrest movement .of said tray assembly thereinto byengagement with one of said trays, the movement of said tray assemblyexterior-1y of said chest being limited by engagement of one of saidpairs or link members with the adjacent end wall of the chest.

GRADY A. DOI'I'IN.

